Methods Of Operating A Spatial Deposition Tool

Abstract

Apparatus and methods to process one or more wafers are described. A spatial deposition tool comprises a plurality of substrate support surfaces on a substrate support assembly and a plurality of spatially separated and isolated processing stations. The spatially separated isolated processing stations have independently controlled temperature, processing gas types, and gas flows. In some embodiments, the processing gases on one or multiple processing stations are activated using plasma sources. The operation of the spatial tool comprises rotating the substrate assembly in a first direction, and rotating the substrate assembly in a second direction, and repeating the rotations in the first direction and the second direction until a predetermined thickness is deposited on the substrate surface(s).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a film, the method comprising:
 loading at least one wafer onto x number of substrate support surfaces in a substrate support assembly within a processing chamber, each of the substrate support surfaces aligned with x number of spatially separated isolated processing stations within the processing chamber;   rotating the substrate support assembly (rx) times or (rx′) times in a first direction so that each substrate support surface rotates (360/x) degrees or (360/x′) degrees to a location of an adjacent substrate support surface;   at each processing station, exposing a top surface of the at least one wafer to a process condition to form a film having a substantially uniform thickness, wherein the at least one wafer is stationary when the film is formed; and   rotating the substrate support assembly (rx) times or (rx′) times in a second direction so that each substrate support surface rotates (360/x) degrees or (360/x′) degrees to the location of the adjacent substrate support surface, wherein x is 4, r is 1, and x′is 2.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the x number of substrate support surfaces are substantially coplanar. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the x number of substrate support surfaces comprise heaters. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the x number of substrate support surfaces comprise electrostatic chucks. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling the speed of rotation of the substrate support assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising immersing the at least one wafer in plasma to eliminate plasma damage. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the x number of spatially separated isolated processing stations within the processing chamber is configured to operate as a plasma station. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the plasma station is turned off while the at least one wafer is stationary. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate support assembly is rotated (rx′) times in the first direction so that each substrate support surface rotates (360/x′) degrees to the location of the adjacent substrate support surface, and the substrate support assembly is rotated (rx′) times in the second direction so that each substrate support surface rotates (360/x′) degrees to the location of the adjacent substrate support surface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate support assembly is rotated (rx) times in the first direction so that each substrate support surface rotates (360/x) degrees to the location of the adjacent substrate support surface, and the substrate support assembly is rotated (rx) times in the second direction so that each substrate support surface rotates (360/x) degrees to the location of the adjacent substrate support surface. 
     
     
         11 . A method of forming a film, the method comprising:
 loading at least one wafer onto x number of substrate support surfaces in a substrate support assembly within a processing chamber, each of the substrate support surfaces aligned with x number of spatially separated isolated processing stations within the processing chamber;   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees or (360/x′) degrees in a first direction, followed by (360/x) degrees or (360/x′) degrees in a second direction;   at each processing station, exposing a top surface of the at least one wafer to a process condition to form a film having a substantially uniform thickness, wherein the at least one wafer is stationary when the film is formed;   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees or (360/x′) degrees in the first direction, followed by (360/x) degrees or (360/x′) degrees in the second direction;   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees or (360/x′) degrees in the first direction, followed by (360/x) degrees or (360/x′) degrees in the second direction;   at each processing station, exposing a top surface of the at least one wafer to a process condition to form a film having a substantially uniform thickness, wherein the at least one wafer is stationary when the film is formed; and   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees or (360/x′) degrees in the second direction, wherein x is 4, and x′is 2.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein after loading the loading at the least one wafer onto the x number of substrate support surfaces, the method comprises:
 rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees in the first direction, followed by (360/x) degrees in the second direction;   at each processing station, exposing the top surface of the at least one wafer to the process condition to form the film having the substantially uniform thickness, wherein the at least one wafer is stationary when the film is formed;   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees in the first direction, followed by (360/x) degrees in the second direction;   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees in the first direction, followed by (360/x) degrees in the second direction;   at each processing station, exposing the top surface of the at least one wafer to the process condition to form the film having the substantially uniform thickness, wherein the at least one wafer is stationary when the film is formed; and   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees in the second direction.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein after loading the loading at the least one wafer onto the x number of substrate support surfaces, the method comprises:
 rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x′) degrees in the first direction, followed by (360/x′) degrees in the second direction;   at each processing station, exposing the top surface of the at least one wafer to the process condition to form the film having the substantially uniform thickness, wherein the at least one wafer is stationary when the film is formed;   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x′) degrees in the first direction, followed by (360/x′) degrees in the second direction;   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x′) degrees in the first direction, followed by (360/x′) degrees in the second direction;   at each processing station, exposing the top surface of the at least one wafer to the process condition to form the film having the substantially uniform thickness, wherein the at least one wafer is stationary when the film is formed; and   rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x′) degrees in the second direction.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising controlling the speed of rotation of the substrate support assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising immersing the at least one wafer in plasma to eliminate plasma damage, wherein at least one of the x number of spatially separated isolated processing stations within the processing chamber is configured to operate as a plasma station, and wherein the plasma station is turned off while the at least one wafer is stationary.